Where're the spot welds hiding?

[TC911e]

At some point I'll get the story that got me to this sad state posted, but at the moment I've got a puzzle that I haven't been able to solve with searches. The question of the hour- how do I locate the spot welds where the front of the rear quarter panel/rear fender attaches to the bottom of the B-pillar/lock post? (location in the red bubble below)



I've learned enough from reading to know I've got to fire up the air saw and cut off the bottom of the fender in front of the rear wheel to get at the kidney bowl area (which is is largely missing), repair the panel below the kidney bowl (which is at least partly missing) and then replace the lock post (at least to just above where the striker plate mounts). (the dark spot at the center of the blue bubble is a hole)



I've seen from other posts where the welds have been drilled out, but it looks pretty smooth on my car. The other places I've drilled out the spot welds have been relatively easy to locate (though I always seem to miss one). The piece I have to take off to get at the kidney bowl I suppose I could cut of off and search from the back side, but I'm going to have to go further up for the lock post repair shortly, and it's unclear how to get the fender to let go of the lock post panel.

As I read in someone's earlier post- "it takes longer to decide to make the first cut than it does to make the repair", but I'd sure like to know how I'm going to put it back together (or finish taking it apart) before I put the saw to it. Any clues or re-direction would be appreciated

Thanks,
Tim

[DaddyGlenn]

look at the welds from under the fender/quarter panel. Or do what I did and cut the panel and lock post as a unit. Then it is easier to get at the spot welds.

[TC911e]

Thanks for the note Glenn. I had my head stuck under there and wasn't sure I could see enough, or get a straight enough shot at it if I could see it, to drill them out from the back side.

I have been going back and forth between your "rust repair" thread and a couple of others. So did you end up separating the "keeper" part of the fender from the dead part of the lock post?

I did notice when I went back and looked that you didn't go all the way out to the edge when you cut up above the striker mount (which I'll have to get out as well), but I didn't see how it went back together. I was hoping I could avoid yet another butt weld fit/match exercise, but that might be easier. Maybe.

Thanks,
Tim

[Iciclehead]

Isn't that an area where the factory leaded the joint? If it is, and you may want to try, taking a propane torch to it and see if the lead starts to flow.

Seems to me I ran into that with my '75...

Dennis

[DaddyGlenn]

Originally Posted by TC911e

Thanks for the note Glenn. I had my head stuck under there and wasn't sure I could see enough, or get a straight enough shot at it if I could see it, to drill them out from the back side.

I have been going back and forth between your "rust repair" thread and a couple of others. So did you end up separating the "keeper" part of the fender from the dead part of the lock post?

I did notice when I went back and looked that you didn't go all the way out to the edge when you cut up above the striker mount (which I'll have to get out as well), but I didn't see how it went back together. I was hoping I could avoid yet another butt weld fit/match exercise, but that might be easier. Maybe.

Thanks,
Tim

yea, it is a tight fit to get at the spot welds. but you might try to drill through from the back with a 1/16" bit then take the spot weld bit to the front side where the resulting holes are.

Removing the striker mount was a decision made after I had cut the panel. If I had known they needed to come out in the first place I might have cut the panel higher.

When I did remove them, I didn't go to the edge in the hope that the remaining part of the fender would hold its shape better. Made welding the new piece in a challenge. I don't think I would do it that way again.

[Fishcop]

As Glenn suggests, it's easier to cut a complete piece away (you'll need to do it to get to the kidney bowl/sill-support underneath anyway) and then unstitch and repair.

[TC911e]

Thanks guys. I went ahead and made the fender cut and got the bottom of the lock post and the fender piece in one shot. I've now got full view of the disaster below (much of the panel behind the kidney bowl is gone as well).




I'll deal with that and then see if I can get at enough of the spot welds from inside the fender well to get above the striker plate for the next cut.

Tim

[Fishcop]

It's a character building experience

Fortunately all of the panels/parts are available...

[DaddyGlenn]

Originally Posted by fishcop

it's a character building experience :d

fortunately all of the panels/parts are available...

+1

[TC911e]

Character huh. The only thing I'm sure I'm building is an increasingly deep stack rusty scraps that have been cut off of the car, and I've still got a ways to go.

Plus, I've been having unclean thoughts, like "if I'd found this before I got this deep I'd have parted the whole thing out", since I know the passenger side is likely at least as bad. But I'm too far into it now to back out now, and some of you guys have gone much deeper. At least I can glean inspiration from you guys that have a lead on me.

Tim

[Fishcop]

We're here for you brother